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Paddles Invent Hope For Health

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Team "Soak It Up" Check out the PATH Facebook page for more photos of the day!

On this day, in 1899, Albert Marshall of Brockton, MA patented the refrigerator.  Thank goodness!  On this same day in 1928, Graf Zeppelin began a 21 day trip around the world in his, yes, Zeppelin invention.

Dream big, persevere and great feats can occur.

Narrow life’s options by giving in to fear, and emptiness takes over.  Coincidentally, this is also the day Nixon resigned as president (1974).

It’s easy to have fear and a narrow of view of disease.  And yet, even though we have lost many to illness such as cancer, those who remain are astonishing and in need of our support and our affirmations.  Better yet, we who stand by with support, benefit immeasurably from their wisdom and courage.

Spend time with those who dream big in their fight for health, those who shun fear, and you’ll appreciate my point.

PS. We didn't win on the water but we won best campsite! Spirit counts!

Yesterday a few of us got a taste of this powerful synergy.  Thanks to help from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, several of our PATH staffers and a dozen Vermont (VEHI) school employee wellness leaders hopped in a 21-person Dragon Boat and paddled across Perkin’s Pier in Lake Champlain to raise money in the fight against cancer.

Though it wasn’t around the world, the entire day was a mighty feat and the 150 Dragon Heart festival volunteers certainly affirmed the lives of cancer survivors worldwide.  The day raised roughly $250,000 for the cause and made about 2,000 racers (90 boats) laugh, dance, splash, paddle and play in honor of those who fight and those we’ve lost.  This festival is truly a great invention.

It was indescribably moving and utterly hilarious in one fell swoop.

Survivors raced first and I have to say, they are my heroes.  These women, from all over the world, are powerful and gorgeous; role models in adversity and grace.  If I can become half as strong as they, I’ll be more than proud.

So, starting today I’m training for next year!  And here’s the first exercise I’m doing to build up my paddle arms and upper back (man am I sore!):

Instructions:

This exercise works your rear shoulder muscles and upper back.  The rear shoulder (rear deltoids or delts) are really small muscles.  Exercise science agrees that it’s best to do this exercise after you’ve worked some of the bigger muscles in your back and arms so they don’t try to “take over.”

Use very small dumbbells or weights at first.

  • Bend your knees slightly and then bend forward at the hips keeping your back flat.
  • Bend your elbows slightly, palms facing in toward each other.
  • Raise your arms up until your elbows are shoulder height.
  • Imagine a rope is pulling your upper arms up toward the ceiling at the elbow.
  • Slightly tilt the weight counter-clockwise toward the floor at the top of the lift.  This, and the bend at the hips and elbow, help isolate the rear delt, keeping the back muscles and the middle delt from helping.

Go for it and “Paddles Up!”

See you on the PATH Ahead!

Dragon Boat photos credit:  Karen Pike Photography courtesy of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont

Go to the PATH Facebook page for more Dragon Boat Festival pictures

Breaks or Bust!

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All work and no play? Tsk tsk tsk…

Oh, relax, we all do it.  And it’s time for a change.

Henry Ford said: “Chop your own wood and it will warm you twice.”

The same could be true of exercise breaks. You have to spend a little time building muscles, coordination and oxygen to make your brain efficient again after sitting for any length of time. Spend time to make time.

Get started and you’ll find a ripple effect occurring among your peers. Everyone wants to be healthier at work but most people feel awkward or don’t know where to begin. Therefore a small role modeling effort can help shift the winds in your workplace.

Two weeks ago I started sitting on an exercise ball. The hardest part was blowing it up – not just because it took some physical umpf but because my co-workers were all “what are doing? Why are you doing that now? What got into you all of a sudden?”

That type of inquisition can be enough to quash gumption so here is where perseverance proves fundamental. The origin of the word contains the term “severe.” It means, thus, to strictly adhere to or persist in that which you’ve set in motion. In other words, don’t let the chickens get you down.

Seriously.

I replied, “I don’t know, now is the time. Want me to blow one up for you?” Next thing you know, I got a good air pump workout and there are balls at everyone’s desks, rolling down the hall and all about.

To boot, by the end of the first week I found myself doing leg lifts and other exercises while on the phone or researching. I was bouncing a lot and I found I needed, not just wanted, but needed, to get up frequently and stretch. It feels great. This week I started lying on the ball on my stomach while reading periodicals on the floor in front of me. The options are vast! If I’d let the inquisition stop me, look what I’d have lost.

To persist is to stand firm. In so doing we can quickly change norms, especially when most people just need a judgment-free nudge.

Now, not everyone is sitting on these balls all day long just yet, nor are we holding exercise classes every half hour.

Not just YET. But there is a well known term in health promotion that applies: “pre-contemplation.” We’re all thinking about it and sooner than later, action will have to prevail. One leap toward collective thinking made the dominoes begin to fall. A few more and watch out!

Today I learned we all have a bunch of break ideas in the back of our heads, contemplating equipment and videos collecting dust in the closet. Just mentioning it made us decide to create a video library. I believe blowing that dust off is only the beginning. Not only that, but we’re thinking about a spreadsheet to track physical changes as we do these videos. Eventually that video will pop out of its sleeve into the player and off we’ll go. Trust and believe!

Once one person jumps over the “I’m feeling silly or weird or awkward” hurdle and just goes for it, the future is ours. Free your mind, move your body, free your brain for better thinking! In short, excitement builds on itself. Be the one to persist past the fear. Be a rooster and marshal the chickens to the wonderful world of exercise breaks.

To get started, check out our Monday blogs. Almost every Monday post has an exercise you can do at work.

Cock a doodle dooooooo!!!

For more encouragement on taking back the lunch break, click this link to a fun website by The Energy Project.

Please share with us how you take exercise breaks. We’d love to see you on the PATH Ahead!

Sawing Away Chaos

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“For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” – Lily Tomlin

Summer is a great time to relax but it can be so packed with events that going slowly may not always be an option.  If you’re on the move and trying to balance summer fun with paying the bills, family reunions with kids’ camps, and so much else, try working in those exercises you can do while just being you.

If you find yourself sitting on the floor one day, here’s a great exercise you’ll see in Pilates lore: The Saw (no it’s not torturous!). You’ll get strong, stretched, relaxed and enlightened all at once.

This move gently stretches the hamstrings (back of the thighs) which are tight in most people thanks to all the sitting and driving we do.  You’ve got to make an effort to keep those hams supple and ready for action.  This is great because you can do it while watching a movie with the family, sitting around a campfire, or at a picnic (at your local Farmer’s Market maybe).

This version comes from Runner’s World magazine. By the way, they have a great free library of videos on a myriad of exercises and they are neatly simple.  Here are the “Saw” instructions from their Pilates series which Olga highly recommends.

“Sit up with your back straight back and your legs open wide (about the width of your shoulders). Extend your arms out to the sides of your body at shoulder height. As you inhale, twist your torso to the right. As you exhale, reach your left hand to the outside of your right foot. Then as you inhale again, return to the center. Exhale, and repeat on the other side. Try to keep your legs straight. If you can’t, bring the legs closer together and work to widen them over time. Do this exercise four times on each side.”

The bonus is that this move also stretches the hips which help you lift the thigh when running.

So, even if you can’t slow down to completely relax, at least take advantage of multitasking!

Saw and be seen.  Ha ha.  Ooo, or Saw and be Serene!  That’s better.  Let us know how it goes.

See you on the PATH Ahead!

Ode to a Joyful Printer

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There are many people who help make PATH a wonderful team – a family indeed.  Our printer (Accura Printing) is a crucial partner working hand in hand with our designers, clapping in excitement over our crazy ideas, and heroically nailing our often outrageous deadlines.  They stand firmly beside us as we strive tirelessly to bolster up the lives of thousands in the helping professions.

We lost one of our printing team last week, suddenly, to meningitis.  Kevin McTigue was only 33.

We want to take a moment to honor the creativity and radiant energy he brought to PATH.  I’m not sure we ever got the chance to say how much we appreciated his work; bringing our precious art to life on the printing press.  Nor did we ever explain how many lives he touched in so doing.

Though you may not have known him, what he represents and the lesson we can learn from the celebration of his life is well worth noting; or so said the lovely pastor who gave his eulogy.  I had to agree, thus this post.

In short, Kevin was the definition of ebullient.  Whatever his struggles, lest we pretend anyone is free from strife, those who love him say he always landed smiling and laughing, usually followed by a hug.

We all need a Kevin in our lives, in work and play.

So in his honor, take time to cherish those you love who lift you up and inspire you to be a happier, more carefree person.  Get your silly on, in fact, no matter how hard the road right now; and give gratitude where gratitude is due because life is precious and all too short.

I was reminded, also from Kevin’s service, of the spark of joy inside us itching to break open toward our dreams.  None of us lives without it though we often forget to let it free.  Laughter and song are it’s launchpad.

Kevin’s adopted church sent him off into the mist with a beautiful musical tribute, leaving me with a poem stuck in my head.  This beautiful work speaks to that spark – the little utterance of hope within us that indubitably heals from the inside out.

Pulizer Prize winning poet Mary Oliver’s I Will Try from her collection Red Bird:

I will try.
I will step from the house to see what I see
and hear and I will praise it.
I did not come into the world
to be comforted.
I came, like red bird, to sing.
But I’m not red bird, with his head-mop of flame
and the red triangle of his mouth
full of tongue and whistles,
but a woman whose love has vanished,
who thinks now, too much, of roots
and the dark places
where everything is simply holding on.
But this too, I believe, is a place
where God is keeping watch
until we rise, and step forth again and-
but wait. Be still. Listen!
Is it red bird? Or something
inside myself, singing?

Thank you Kevin and thank you Kevin’s loved ones.  We’re thinking about you and wishing you well.

See you all on the PATH Ahead… way ahead.

PS.  A brief note about bacterial meningitis:

Meningitis is an infection that targets the brain and spinal column.  It can be hard to recognize, especially in the early stages, because the symptoms are similar to other more common illnesses.  Meningitis progresses quickly, however, and can result in death within 24 hours.  Symptoms may include:

  • High fever
  • Severe headache
  • Stiff neck
  • Confusion
  • Vomiting
  • Exhaustion
  • Rash

Prevention: Take good care of yourself and bolster that precious immune system with lots of love, laughter, sleep, good food and exercise.  When in crowds, or at parties, don’t share drinkware, utensils, or cosmetics.

If you develop symptoms: The best tool is to catch any infectious disease early.  Don’t assume you’ve just got the flu if you have the above symptoms and they are getting worse quickly.  Better safe than sorry, especially if you’ve been in contact with teens or large crowds and you’re feeling run down.

Worst case: Some strains of infectious disease, tragically, are insurmountable.  In which case, we owe it to those we love to be sure our advanced directives (end of life wishes) are clearly defined and accessible.  This difficult planning will be well worth the emotion it saves our families who must make decisions in the midst of their woe.

Above all, be wise and live everyday to its fullest so your eulogy will be as joyful as Kevin’s when it’s your time.

Happy Leg Lifts

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“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” – Rumi

Our friends at the new Facebook site, HAPPYgalore, posted this quote last week and it really stuck with us.

Wellness is about finding what you love that lifts you up and helps you feel fully alive.

So, what does lift you up?  And speaking of lifts…

This week’s anywhere exercise is exactly that, a fun lift you can do while chatting with loved ones or watching TV, or…just gazing at a beautiful sunset.  Take a look at “Ye Olde Side Leg Lifts” – a tried and true activity that dates back to Jane Fonda VHS days (hello 80’s!).

Continue reading “Happy Leg Lifts”

Keeping Your Cool in the Dog Days of Summer

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Whoa Momma, is it hot out there! I don’t know how you southerners do it. We’ve had 4 days of 95+ degree weather and I’ve all but shut down. Can… just …barely…lift the spoon from the pint of Ben and Jerry’s into my mouth…

Webster’s dictionary defines Dog Days as:

  1. The period between early July and early September when the hot sultry weather of summer usually occurs in the northern hemisphere
  2. A period of stagnation or inactivity

As much as I usually love to cook, these days make me hot and listless with no energy and no interest in preparing a hot meal for my family.  Thank goodness for the grill and the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies available this time of year. Here are some ideas of what I keep on hand to pull together a light, low effort meal at the end of a long, hot day.

  • Hard cooked eggs. I cook them in the am while the kitchen is still relatively cool. Good by themselves or sliced and tossed into a salad or on a sandwich. If you can get fresh eggs from your Farmer’s Market, give them a try. They are a treat!
  • Blanched green beans. These are good chopped and tossed into a green salad or marinated in vinaigrette and served at room temperature as a side to grilled meat or fish.
  • Red seedless grapes. Put these in the freezer for an hour or so – they are delicious and refreshing when frozen.
  • Tomatoes and mozzarella. Simply serve sliced and stacked and topped with a sprinkle of fresh basil, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Or, for a heartier alternative, get a good loaf of whole grain Italian bread, slice it open horizontally, spread both sides of the loaf with pesto and fill with sliced tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella, a stack of fresh spinach leaves, and thinly sliced rounds of red onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Close loaf and slice vertically into 6-8 sandwiches. This is great for a picnic and tastes best when made ahead. Tightly wrap the whole sandwich in plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to serve. Unwrap and slice just before serving.
  • Watermelon. Perfect and beautiful just as it is. Delicious paired with feta, arugula and mint in this Barefoot Contessa recipe.  And have you tried Martha’s Tequila-Soaked Watermelon Wedges recipe from Tuesday’s blog?

And for those of you, like me, who were curious about where the term “Dog Days” comes from, here is what I learned:

During the summer, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, and part of the constellation Canis Major (the big dog), rises and sets with the sun. In late July, when Sirius is in conjunction with (i.e. in particularly close proximity to) the sun, and the Romans believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun making for a particularly hot and muggy stretch of weather. They named the stretch of time from 20 days before to 20 days after the conjunction ‘Dog Days’ after Sirius, the dog star.

What are you serving to keep cool in the summer heat?

A Wake Up Call For Health

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A huge body of research was published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine,  by Harvard, painting an honest picture of our health prospects.  Not like we didn’t know but sometimes a slap of reality put in a new light is useful.

Jane Brody gives a nice overview in her recent New York Times column.  Her slant is that counting calories is no longer a valid weight management tool. I disagree, but first look at the key findings and you’ll understand her point.

The research looked at the eating and exercise habits of 120,000 healthy adults over two decades.  The average weight gain of these participants was 20 pounds over 20 years, or a pound a year – Ah-Ha! That explains my creeping spare tire!

Here are the “no-duh” reasons this study didn’t make major breaking news:

  • Those who ate “good” foods — whole grains, fruit, veggies, nuts and yogurt — were less likely to gain weight.  In fact, most either maintained or lost weight.
  • Those who exercised (or increased their exercise) gained less than half the weight of those who did not.  The more they exercised and ate well, the less the gain.  See, I told you… Duh.

The rub is that exercise alone didn’t prevent all weight gain.  If you partake in a lot of sugary foods and drinks, white flour products, processed meats and fried foods, exercise won’t undo the damage completely.  There-in lies Jane Brody’s point.  We must admit there really are good foods versus bad foods and telling ourselves otherwise by simply counting calories (or “points”) doesn’t make for a sustainable lifestyle change that equals health.

Those who ate the “good” foods AND exercised were golden.  Period. Continue reading “A Wake Up Call For Health”

Farmer’s Market Finds from Facebook Friends

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Last week we asked our Facebook friends to post their ideas for simple summer recipes in 1,000 characters or less. While we didn’t get a lot of entries (too busy? too hot?), we did get 2 great suggestions and I was reminded of all the simple delicious summer combinations that I have yet to prepare before the summer is over…

Here are our FB friends’ suggestions:

Micky Cernuda suggests skewering strawberries, melons, blueberries, melons, cantaloupe, pineapples, and serving Fruit Kebabs at your next summer BBQ.

Linda Manning offers this suggestion for Healthy Pizzas.

Use wheat pitas, use half pita heated in a 400 degree oven and put on a light layer of pizza sauce, then use olive oil to soften red pepper, green pepper, mushrooms, oregano, parsley, and celery seed in a skillet. Put the veggies on the pizza sauce and then use reduced fat shredded pizza cheese and heat in the oven! Very good!

Continue reading “Farmer’s Market Finds from Facebook Friends”

Reach for the Sky if You Sit

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Monday morning and we’re all back at our desks (well anyone who isn’t on vacation, that is!)

There has been much ado about sitting lately and the risks involved (see our blog post from 02-09-2011).

Reach for the sky!

We know we have to sit for various important tasks, so to compensate even just a bit, be sure to feed your posture with strength moves and to get up and reach for the sky at least every 30 minutes if not more often.  Olga shows you how, dressed in blue (you can wear any color you want though).

For more on posture both in general and while sitting, refer to the trusted voice of the amazing Jane Brody from the New York Times.  Her rich depth of practical knowledge in wellness over the past 30 years has been a beacon in the world of massive health confusion.  Last week she talked about bone structure and protecting your back.

Make sure your spine is aligned as such when sitting

For proper sitting posture in a vehicle, take a look at Olga’s cousin.  You’ll want a pillow, or towel, or the seat itself to press into the lower back to keep your arch in shape (no matter where you sit).  Keep your knees at 90 degrees and be close enough to reach the wheel while keeping your elbows slightly bent as you reach forward.

You can also refer to another solid NY Times piece for more on sitting properly at your desk.  And here’s a thought…

“People teach their dogs to sit; it’s a trick. I’ve been sitting my whole life, and a dog has never looked at me as though he thought I was tricky.”  – The late comedian, Mitch Hedberg

There’s just no getting around it…  We have to get up and wash our joints with spinal fluid or we’re done for.  Why not try setting a few alarms throughout the day.  Or make connect to a trigger that will remind you to simply stand and reach up and exhale.  You will be glad you did and so will your vertebrae.

Move well to sit well!  A new mantra? Add it to the list!

Swap Pumps for a Gazelle

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Pike’s Peak barefoot?

That’s right.

Shoes have been an issue for me all my life.  When I was a kid I walked funny.  Don’t laugh.  Okay, you can laugh.  My feet hurt.  My mom took me to the pediatrician who said, “Put her in cheap shoes, she’ll be fine.”  Enter the ugliest, late seventies nu-buck designer knock-offs ever seen.  But I loved them.  They were the most comfortable shoes ever.  When everyone else was wearing patent-leather Mary Janes or hip Hush Puppies, there was I with my “sensible” Buster Browns.

Vintage toddler BB's, circa 1950

Today, I am no different.  Why on earth has “sensible” never been fashionable?

All gear ought to be based on its ability to help us: a) move more without causing harm; b) to comfortably work or recreate; and c) remain financially stable.

In short, what in the world is with pumps?

Sorry Manolo or Blahnik (see, I don’t even know if they are one or two people).

Our bodies are made to dance and run like a gazelle, not artfully adorn to please those who would bound and control us. Continue reading “Swap Pumps for a Gazelle”